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Widening Worlds: Understanding and teaching new literacies

Abstract

"New conceptions of literacies and the practices associated with them call for new approaches to preparing teachers to engage students in literacy as a situated social phenomenon. This article describes two teacher educators' engagement in collaborative self-study as we implemented The New Literacies Project to help pre-service teachers expand their conceptions of literacy and their knowledge of how to incorporate new literacies pedagogies into K-6 teaching and learning. We discuss how teacher candidates' conceptions of new literacies and their connections to classroom practice evolved over time, and how our own evolving conception of new literacies influenced ways the project was conceptualized, structured, and supported. The candidates' learning experiences seemed powerful enough to help them expand their conceptions of literacy, including digital literacy, and most were able to talk broadly about implications for classroom teaching and learning. However, many were not able to fully integrate technology and new literacies in their planning. We conclude with suggestions for future research and invite dialog among teacher educators about their own pedagogical challenges and promising approaches to designing authentic learning opportunities."

Reference

  • Rosaen, C. & Terpstra, M. (2012). Widening Worlds: Understanding and teaching new literacies. Studying Teacher Education: Journal Of Self-Study Of Teacher Education Practices, 8(1), 35-49. 

Journal

Studying Teacher Education: Journal Of Self-Study Of Teacher Education Practices

Analysis

Is this article part of a larger project or series of studies?

no

Does this study draw on a large, preexisting data set?

no

Research Approach

  • Self-Study

Geographic Setting

  • midwest

Institutional Context

  • University based

Certification Level

  • K-6

Programatic Focus

  • New literacies

Research Location Context

  • University

Preservice Participants

  • 5-year program offering BA , followed by MA and initial certification
  • Undergraduates (university based program)

Preservice Sample Size

51

Other Participant Data

  • Teacher Educators

Duration of Data Collection

  • More than 1 year

Data Sources

  • Blog group discussion
  • course materials
  • email correspondence
  • lesson plans
  • student work

Data Analysis Tools

  • coding to a prior categories
  • Self-Study

Researcher Positionality

  • inside (staying their own students)

Research Questions

Drawing from students' written work produced in the course, what understandings do students exhibit of the concept of literacy? How are new ideas used in their planning of language arts instruction? (pp. 39-40).
Is this research question explicit from the manuscript? Combination
Drawing from instructor artifacts and communication, how did the structure and content of an assigned new literacies project change over time "in relation to [the instructors'] evolving conception?" (p. 40)
Is this research question explicit from the manuscript? Unknown

Categories

3CCE Category: Course experiences – the work that is done in a course to promote the content.

2PTI Category: Preservice teacher identity, knowledge, beliefs, attitudes, and/or orientation (ikbao) toward literacy or the teaching of literacy.

7DLT Topic: Digital literacies

1TEI Category: Teacher educator identity, knowledge, beliefs, attitudes, and/or orientation (ikbao) to literacy or teacher preparation in literacy.

1TEP Category: Teacher educator practices.

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The Literacy Research Association provided pilot funding for portions of this project.

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